A. No mailbox or newspaper delivery box, (hereafter referred to as mailbox) will be allowed to exist on the city's rights-of-way or interfere with the safety of the traveling public or the function, maintenance, or operation of the street system. The city does not allow new mailboxes to be installed within city maintained public rights-of-way (ROW), because it is impractical for property owners to keep mailbox clear of snow during the winter plow season when city plow operations are occurring twenty-four-seven (24/7). Mailboxes inevitably get damaged by snow plowing activities. These issues result in the USPS being unable to deliver mail in a timely consistent manner. The following exceptions apply:
1. If a property owner/mail customer can install the mailbox in an area inside the owner's property (not in the city ROW) without obstructing any city ROW, easements, or maintenance activities;
2. Does not require the delivery vehicle to access the mailbox via the roadside of a city street; and
3. Gets approval from the USPS Cambridge Postmaster confirming that they will deliver to this mailbox located on private property, then that is acceptable and no city permitting is required. (Example: condominium HOA installs a group mailbox within the complex's parking lot or private driveway).
4. Existing mailboxes located and accessed by USPS delivery vehicles on city streets and ROWs are allowed, provided they do not create a snow plowing or safety issue. If the location of an existing mailbox is deemed to be a safety issue or creates an undue burden on the city's snow plowing activities, that existing mailbox may be required to be removed from the city's ROW.
5. A new mailbox that is proposed to be co-located on an already existing mailbox post that is recognized by the Public Works Department. No city permitting is required for co-locate installation on an existing mailbox post.
6. Requests for mailboxes to be located on private streets or public streets that are outside the city limits need to be approved by the HOA or other entity (i.e., Washington County) that has management control over the street in addition to the USPS Cambridge Postmaster. No city permitting is required for mailbox installations on private roads.
B. A mailbox installation that does not conform to the provisions of this section is an unauthorized encroachment under Idaho Code, §49-221(2); §50-313; or §50-314.
C. The location and construction of mailboxes shall conform to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Postal Service, as well as the Manual for the Location, Support and Mounting of Mailboxes adopted by the city. A mailbox installation conforming with the Local Highway Technical Assistance Council Manual for the Location, Support and Mounting of Mailboxes, dated December 2020, (hereafter referred to as Mailbox Manual) will be considered acceptable. Mailbox location, height, support, mounting and turnout construction shall be in accordance with the Mailbox Manual. Any exceptions to the Mailbox Manual may be granted, if in the judgment of the city, the installation does not interfere with the safety of the traveling public or the function, maintenance, or the operation of the street system. Requests for any exception to the Mailbox Manual shall be made in writing. The request shall contain sufficient details to evaluate the requested exception.
1. Location: It will be the responsibility of the postal patron to inform the city of any new or existing mailbox installation where turnout construction is inadequate to permit all-weather access to the mailbox. An all-weather turnout is sufficiently stable to support passenger cars stopping regularly during all weather conditions. The sub-base (ballast), base and surface treatment is a requirement of all new or reconstructed turnouts, and shall be the same as the adjacent roadway section. No mailbox will be permitted where access is obtained from the lanes of an arterial or where access is otherwise prohibited by law or regulation. Where a mailbox is installed in the vicinity of an existing guardrail, it should, whenever practical, be placed behind the guardrail. Exceptions to the lateral placement criteria may exist on residential streets and certain designated rural roads where the city deems it is in the public's interest to permit lesser clearances or to require greater clearances.
2. Mailboxes: Mailboxes shall be of light metal or plastic construction, conforming to the requirements of the U.S. Postal Service. Newspaper delivery boxes shall be of light sheet metal or plastic construction of minimum dimensions suitable for holding a newspaper.
3. Supports: Mailbox supports shall not be set in concrete, unless the support design has been shown to be safe by crash tests when so installed. A metal post shall not be fitted with an anchor plate, but it may have an anti-twist device (stabilizer fin) that extends no more than ten (10) inches below the ground surface.
4. Mounting: The post-to-box attachment details should be of sufficient strength to prevent the box from separating from the post if the installation is struck by a vehicle. The product must result in a satisfactory attachment of the mailbox to the post, and all components must fit together properly.
D. Removal Of Non-Conforming Or Unsafe Mailboxes: Any mailbox found to violate the intent of this regulation shall be removed by the postal patron upon notification by the city. At the discretion of the city, based on an assessment of hazard to the public, the patron will be granted not less than twenty-four (24) hours or more than fifteen (15) days, to remove an unacceptable mailbox. After the specified removal period has expired, the unacceptable mailbox will be removed by the city at the postal patron's expense.
(Ord. 3-2024, 5-28-2024)